Schwarzenegger to speak in Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto

CALGARY— He is an American icon in both politics and Hollywood and Arnold Schwarzenegger has chosen Calgary for one of his first public speaking appearances after leaving office on Monday as governor of California.

The Calgary Herald has learned that Mr. Schwarzenegger will be in Calgary for a luncheon talk Jan. 25 at the Telus Convention Centre.

Calgary entrepreneurs Christian Darbyshire and Andy McCreath, of tinePublic Inc., have organized the coup — one more in a long list of high-profile appearances the duo have secured in recent years for the city, a list that has included George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Sarah Palin.

“This reaches people from all walks of life,” said Mr. McCreath. “The thing about Arnold Mr. Schwarzenegger is he’s the ultimate American dream because he was Mr. Universe. He was the biggest movie star in the world when his movies were big. He married a Kennedy. Became governor of California. It’s like, what hasn’t this guy not done?

“He’s as big a celebrity as there is out there.”

The Calgary event is expected to draw about 2,000 spectators. Tickets are available Wednesday through Ticketmaster.

Although the topic of his talk is not yet known, Mr. Schwarzenegger is expected to speak about politics, business, energy and the environment, and Canadian/American relations.

Frank McKenna, former premier of New Brunswick, former Canadian ambassador to the United States and currently deputy chair of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, will conduct a question and answer with Mr. Schwarzenegger following his speech.

Mr. Schwarzenegger, 63, left politics after seven years at the helm of the Golden State and leaves behind a state under extreme financial stress.

“The important thing with my job that I’ve had for the last seven years is, you have to have passion . . . You can’t be afraid. You have to recognize very quickly that political risk-taking is not political suicide,” he told the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Schwarzenegger has not disclosed what he plans to do now that he is out of office. Recently he suggested he would accept a position as “energy czar” in President Barack Obama’s administration if asked. There have also been hints of a return to the movie industry.

After his Calgary appearance, Mr. Schwarzenegger will be in Winnipeg the same evening and then in Toronto on Jan. 26.

This is another first for the entrepreneurial duo of Darbyshire and McCreath. When Ms. Palin spoke in Calgary, it was her first Canadian event. Mr. Bush’s appearance here was his first event out of office anywhere in the world. Mr. Blair chose Calgary as his second public event out of office.